Now What? A Math Tale

by Robie H. Harris, Chris Chatterton (Illustrator)

Overview

Solve a problem with Puppy and a bag full of blocks! Robie H. Harris and Chris Chatterton team up for another gentle introduction to early math concepts.

Puppy wants to build a bed out of blocks, one that is wide enough and long enough for a snooze. But there aren’t enough rectangles, squares, and triangles. NOW WHAT? Build, measure, count, compare! Follow along as Puppy tries again and again and again and finally figures out how blocks of different shapes and sizes can fit together to build a bed that’s just the right size for a nap.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763678289
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	05/14/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	827,314
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Robie H. Harris (1940-2024) is the New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed Family Library series—It’s Perfectly Normal, It’s So Amazing!, and It’s Not the Stork!—illustrated by Michael Emberley; CRASH! BOOM! A Math Tale, illustrated by Chris Chatterton; and Somewhere, illustrated by Armando Mariño. She is also the author of the Let’s Talk About You and Me series, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, and many other books for young children.

Chris Chatterton is an author and animator as well as the illustrator of CRASH! BOOM! A Math Tale by Robie H. Harris, There’s a Bison Bouncing on the Bed! by Paul Bright, and When Santa Came to Stay by Timothy Knapman. Chris Chatterton lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.

Editorial Reviews

The digitally colored pencil illustrations with some photographic elements are dear, with an appropriate level of simplicity and lots of negative space in its white, pastel blue, or yellow backgrounds. The puppy's soft curves and spots provide a distinctive visual counter to the beveled edges of the blocks. Quaint independent learning.
—Kirkus Reviews

Harris succeeds in describing block shapes ("1. 2. 3. 4 corners. 1. 2. 3. 4 straight lines—all the same size. Hey! This is a square!") and Puppy's trial-and error-process in kid-friendly terms, providing support for young builders who might not see the design flaws right away. Readers should pair this book with real blocks for a tail-waggingly fun building session once Puppy settles in for a well-earned victory nap.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers

From the Publisher

06/07/2019

PreS-K-A floppy-eared puppy wants to build a bed out of toy blocks. Puppy picks out the blocks and carefully examines them, counting the number of sides on each one. Puppy also notices whether the sides are straight or short and so forth. Then Puppy names the block. It's a rectangle, square, or triangle. Puppy then fits the blocks together, like solving a puzzle, using each shape to build one larger rectangle that is big enough for Puppy to lay upon. Once the different shapes are aligned together, Puppy then drags the stuffed bear and blanket to the bed and snuggles in for a snooze. The illustrations are simple with just a pup, a blanket, a stuffed bear, and wood blocks against a solid color background. The cute puppy is digitally drawn while the other items, including the blocks, are photographed. The simple short sentences work well with the large font. Care has been taken to keep the mathematical concepts accessible. VERDICT Puppy, with his sweet face and plump physique, successfully delivers early math concepts in a gentle manner for a very young audience. Another winning entry in the series.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services

School Library Journal

2019-03-17
How can a puppy fit blocks together to make a place to nap?

Harris and Chatterton team up for another "Math Tale" (CRASH! BOOM!, 2018) in this shapes primer for young readers who've graduated from board books. An orange puppy with black ears and white paws has a bag full of wooden blocks. The pup counts and identifies each block, then arranges them through trial and error until there's a platform big enough to lie on with a blanket and teddy bear. The repetitive text keeps a steady pace and includes exhortations to "Look!" and count the "1. 2. 3. 4 corners" of a rectangle, encouraging reader engagement. The content pushes understanding beyond the basics, noting, for example, how every side of a rectangle block is also rectangular. Sometimes the phrasing can be confusing, as when the puppy examines a new shape and exclaims, "Oh. This is a rectangle that's square!"—but such moments could be opportunities for young readers to make discoveries of their own in the moment or during a reread. The digitally colored pencil illustrations with some photographic elements are dear, with an appropriate level of simplicity and lots of negative space in its white, pastel blue, or yellow backgrounds. The puppy's soft curves and spots provide a distinctive visual counter to the beveled edges of the blocks.

Quaint independent learning. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews